White Labs WLP022 Essex Ale yeast

Anybody used this yeast? I ordered it and it's on its way. Wonder what people here think.

http://www.whitelabs.com/beer/strains_wlp022.html

WLP022 Essex Ale Yeast
Flavorful British style yeast. Drier finish than many British ale yeast. Produces slightly fruity and bready character. Good top fermenting yeast strain, is well suited for top cropping (collecting). This yeast is well suited for classic British milds, pale ales, bitters, and stouts. Does not flocculate as much as WLP002 and WLP005. Attenuation: 71-76%
Flocculation: Medium to High
Ideal Fermentation Temperature Range: 66-70°F
Alcohol Tolerance: Medium

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Bump.

Anyone?

Kristen England's yeast chart says it was originally the strain from Ridley's Ale near Chelmsford, UK -- might explain the resounding thud of silence. Is this a popular UK brewery? Dunno. I've not heard of it.

Let us know how it turns out. I've gone through my hop phase and my malt phase. Now I'm on to water and yeast. My next brews are basically organized around trying various yeast strains.

I've used it in a Bitter once... the same Bitter recipe for which I've used several other yeast strains. It was OK... not as much fruitiness as I was hoping for. To me it was nothing to write home about. I like WLP023 better.

Thanks guys. I'll report back.

I used it in my British IPA (with a starter). It was fine taste-wise and I thought it worked well with the victory malt.

I don't know if you keg or not, but I would recommend a cold crash if you do; this strain left my beer a little more cloudy then the WLP005 I usually use (although I suppose just about any yeast will seem that way when compared to WLP005).

zuesy said:

I used it in my British IPA (with a starter). It was fine taste-wise and I thought it worked well with the victory malt.

I don't know if you keg or not, but I would recommend a cold crash if you do; this strain left my beer a little more cloudy then the WLP005 I usually use (although I suppose just about any yeast will seem that way when compared to WLP005).

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Thanks for the notes. No, I don't usually keg but do sometimes. But I'm not worried about the yeast dropping out. I have good luck bottling with yeasts that don't drop out so much like Wyeast 1056. Few weeks in the bottle and all of my beers drop bright.

Any update on this yeast? I've got a vial in my fridge that I'm itching to use.

Sure. I've used it on 2 beers now, but the second on is still in the fermenter, so just going off of the first beer, an ESB, like so:

Using a 2 liter starter, used a stirplate and decanted pitching only slurry. Fermented at 67. Beer went from 1.050 to 1.010, so 80% attenuated (mashed at 152).

Some fruity esters. I'd say it's like a milder version of WLP023 Burton Ale. It's not as fruity as that but somehow reminds me of it a bit in its balance. Accentuates breadiness in the malt. I really love this first beer produced with this yeast and think the yeast is definitely worth trying.

As for behavior, it's similar to WLP023, I think. Vigorous and steady fermentation. Towards the end of fermentation, the yeast crops to the top creating a big foamy head. Bottles carbed up nicely too, held at 71. After a couple of weeks in the bottle, the beer is totally bright and clear.

Let us know what you think once you use it.

Last night I kegged my Three Cats Best Bitter which used WLP022. Spent 10 days in primary at @66oF and went from 1.052 down to 1.009. It didn't floc as much as a lot of English strains I usually use like S-04. WLP007 or WY1318. I usually get clear as a bell beers at racking with those. Not so with WLP022. It'll probably clear as it chills. It is dry hopped with 1.5 oz. of whole Tettnang hops, so it will probably never be crystalline. Gravity sample tasted pretty good, though. Breadiness comes through and no fruitiness that I could detect.

Matt and Mark - thanks for the notes, very interesting and helpful!